My plan is to lay out hay and sprinkle the run with DE but I am not sure where to get it. I also want to try the deep litter method in the coop over the winter. After all of the snow last year, I do not want to have to worry about how to get to the compost pile if we get slammed with snow.

I just wanted to mention to please reconsider using hay in your run; there have been several folks on here having issues with impacted crop due to chickens eating hay that gets all balled up in their crop. Just something to think on!

If not hay, what else can I use? It is all dirt and I have tried to grow new grass. Ha ha ha!!! They look at me and snicker. I hate to think of them stuck in that run when the snow gets to be to high with just dirt.

I don't have the magazine right now as it's in the truck and hubby took the truck to work, but in the Hobby Farm Magazine issue for Nov/Dec there is an add for something and it also mentions DE. It lists a website where you can order it directly. Don't know the prices or anything like that. But if you have access to that magazine you can try that link...When hubby gets home tonight I will get the address if someone else doesn't post it first....
Do you have any other feed mills you could try and order from. The feed mills around me don't carry nor will they order it, so I have my mom pick it up. She gets a 50# bag of FOOD GRADE DE for $16.50. So when ever I need some I just call her and she will pick it up for me.

As far as not having anything in their run in the winter, I know how you feel. I hate that, too. What I do is I have a large suet cake feeder hanging in the run, and each morning I stuff it with nutritional treats such as greens, halved apples, a portion of cabbage, etc. It hangs at about head level, and they have to work at getting the treats out. It gives them something to do, and they're getting a nutritional treat in the end.

There's not much you can do about a dirt run in winter time. I've been contemplating splitting my run with cattle panel or something in the spring so I have two large areas for them, and then rotating them back & forth between the two, since freeranging is not an option for me.